But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.
Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest: January 1 Devotional
God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
Henry Blackaby- Point Five of the Seven Realities of Experiencing God from Experiencing God
It is now 2010, and one thing should be apparent, I am reading Chambers again after a several month hiatus. I had started the devotional in 2008 part way through the year, so after completing it, I stopped and waited to pick it up again from the beginning. So here I am. I guess you could expect to see him in posts from time to time going forward.
Another thing that should be apparent is that both the quotes have a common theme; faith in God and acting in His will involves a crisis of some sort within you. We went through Experiencing God at my church this past fall, and spent some time on this concept of crisis. I had not made the connection between these two works until I read Chambers again this morning. I am not saying Blackaby borrowed from Chambers, I would like to think two godly men can be moved in very similar ways to write about the Lord in a similar fashion. It happens in the Bible all the time.
Not everyone will like the term crisis in characterizing how they must take the step and place faith in God to act as He wills. Sounds like we are weak, we are doubting, we are fearful. Probably all are true and that is why we do not like the term. In our hearts we often want to trust in self, not God, we want to be in control. That we face a crisis in facing the truth within ourselves is an uncomfortable thought that does not fit well with our view of self, and doesn't speak well of our view of God.
Knowing my own weakness, I look forward to a crisis within me in 2010, for then I will know without a doubt the fact that God is moving in my life.
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